Overview
Located within the New York Public Library’s Digital Research Division, the Metadata Services Unit (MSU) improves access and discovery of library resources through Digital Collections and strengthens data interoperability across the library through metadata production services, software development support, and metadata strategy. Our team supports and engages staff in efficient metadata creation for digitization, offering development and documentation of local standards and practices, project consultation, quality control, staff training, and works to raise awareness and connect stakeholders across NYPL concerning metadata. The MSU also supports the improvement and maintenance of our Metadata Management System (MMS) and online Digital Collections through data modeling, data mapping and enrichment, record assessment and cleanup, and staff user services.
Founded in 1925 and named a National Historic Landmark in 2017, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture is one of the world’s leading cultural institutions devoted to the collection, preservation, and study of materials focused on African American, African Diaspora, and African experiences. The Schomburg Center, featuring diverse programming and collections spanning over 10 million items, has for over nine decades illuminated the richness of black history, arts, and experience worldwide. As a key part of one of the largest public library systems in the world, the Schomburg Center is committed to maximizing free and public access to its collections, exhibitions, educational activities, and much of its programming.
MSU seeks candidates enthusiastic about metadata and the future of libraries for the position of Metadata Specialist II. The Metadata Specialist II balances high productivity and high quality output to wrangle metadata across a corpus of more than a million metadata records. Strong interpersonal and written skills are key to supporting quality metadata creation and remediation across NYPL research library divisions and within a cooperative team environment. This role is a perfect opportunity for a proactive, reliably thoughtful individual with the ability to quickly synthesize complex information, invested in team cohesion and metadata futures.
This role is eligible for a performance based upgrade in salary to $60,574 after one year of successful performance.
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Manager, Metadata Services, the Metadata Specialist II will:
- Create, update, and enhance metadata for the Library’s digital collections
- Liaise with metadata creators across NYPL divisions to support metadata project planning, training, guidance on standards, and the efficient creation/maintenance of high-quality metadata, specifically metadata related to Divisions within the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
- Contribute to local metadata policies, procedures, and standards as well as technical requirements for NYPL’s Metadata Management System, digital repository, and other tools
- Participate in large-scale and targeted remediation and enhancement projects to improve discovery and access to digital content
- Keep up with current standards, trends, and technologies in the field
Required Education & Experience
- ALA-accredited Master’s Degree in Library or Information Science (open to candidates graduating Spring 2022)
- Two years relevant work experience
Required Skills
- Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
- Ability to work well collaboratively and independently on complex projects involving diverse participants, using informed judgment and clear communication to successfully complete tasks in a timely manner
- Demonstrated organizational, analytical, and independent problem-solving skills, with the ability to process a large quantity of work while maintaining a consistently high degree of accuracy
- Facility with rapidly synthesizing new information and new workflows
- Aptitude for being organized, productive and effective while involved with a variety of simultaneous projects
- Demonstrated knowledge of data and database structures, metadata standards, and encoding schemas, including MARC21, MODS, and EAD
- Experience interpreting and applying descriptive content standards (such as RDA, DACS, CCO, etc.) in a non-MARC metadata environment
- Basic understanding of Linked Data concepts and technologies
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with scripting and querying languages such as Python, SQL, etc.
- Experience working with special collections or academic libraries
- Experience building positive and productive interdepartmental or interdisciplinary relationships
- Coursework related to African American, African and African diasporan history
- Experience working with library collections related to African American, African and African diasporan history
To apply for this job please visit nypl.pinpointhq.com.